Dr. Richard Hairston works as an ophthalmologist in Largo, FL and Saint Petersburg, FL. His average patient rating is 3.0 stars out of 5. Dr. Hairston has a special interest in retina surgery and retina problems (vitreoretinal diseases). He is professionally affiliated with St. Anthony's Hospital, Largo Medical Center - Indian Rocks Road Campus, and BayCare Physician Partners. He takes several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO. He attended medical school at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Hairston's medical residency was performed at a hospital affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Hairston is conversant in Spanish.

Dr. Herbert Knauf is a specialist in ophthalmology (eye disease). He is rated 3.5 stars out of 5 by his patients. These areas are among Dr. Knauf's clinical interests: macular degeneration, radial keratotomy, and contact lenses. He takes Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, in addition to other insurance carriers. Dr. Knauf obtained his medical school training at the University of Florida College of Medicine and performed his residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He speaks Spanish. His hospital/clinic affiliations include BayCare Physician Partners and BayCare Surgery Center (Trinity).

Dr. Leonard Kirsch is a specialist in vitreoretinal diseases (retina and vitreous). He works in Largo, FL, Clearwater, FL, and Saint Petersburg, FL. Dr. Kirsch (or staff) speaks the following foreign languages: Spanish and French. Clinical interests for Dr. Kirsch include retina surgery and retina problems (vitreoretinal diseases). He is professionally affiliated with BayCare Physician Partners and Morton Plant Hospital. Dr. Kirsch studied medicine at Albany Medical College. His training includes a residency program at a hospital affiliated with McGill University. His patients gave him an average rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars. He is an in-network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, as well as other insurance carriers.

Dr. Mark Sibley sees patients in Saint Petersburg, FL and Largo, FL. His medical specialty is ophthalmology (eye disease). He has received a 3.0 out of 5 star rating by his patients. Areas of expertise for Dr. Sibley include diabetes, glaucoma, and LASIK. He is an in-network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, as well as other insurance carriers. His education and training includes medical school at Meharry Medical College and residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of Alabama. He is professionally affiliated with Bardmoor Surgery Center.

Dr. Steven Cohen is a specialist in vitreoretinal diseases (retina and vitreous). Areas of expertise for Dr. Cohen include macular degeneration and retina surgery. He is professionally affiliated with Largo Medical Center - Indian Rocks Road Campus, BayCare Physician Partners, and Physicians Surgery Center. Dr. Cohen is a graduate of Harvard Medical School. His training includes a residency program at a hospital affiliated with the University of California, Davis. He accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield Gold, as well as other insurance carriers.

Dr. Matthew Menosky specializes in vitreoretinal diseases (retina and vitreous). The average patient rating for Dr. Menosky is 3.0 stars out of 5. Dr. Menosky's clinical interests include diabetes, macular degeneration, and uveitis. His professional affiliations include Largo Medical Center - Indian Rocks Road Campus, Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, and Mease Countryside Hospital. He is an in-network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, in addition to other insurance carriers. He attended medical school at the University of South Florida (USF) College of Medicine and the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Menosky's medical residency was performed at a hospital affiliated with the University of South Florida (USF).

Dr. Frank Seidl is a specialist in ophthalmology (eye disease). He works in Largo, FL. Dr. Seidl's areas of expertise include the following: macular degeneration, uveitis, and radial keratotomy. He accepts several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO. His education and training includes medical school at Tulane University School of Medicine and residency at Michael Reese Hospital and a hospital affiliated with the University of Kansas. He is professionally affiliated with Morton Plant Hospital.

Dr. John Michaelos' area of specialization is ophthalmology (eye disease). Clinical interests for Dr. Michaelos include laser surgery. Patient ratings for Dr. Michaelos average 4.5 stars out of 5. He is in-network for Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO, in addition to other insurance carriers. He is a graduate of the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. His medical residency was performed at a hospital affiliated with the University of Tennessee. Dr. Michaelos is professionally affiliated with Largo Medical Center - Indian Rocks Road Campus.

Dr. Andrea Lusk's medical specialty is ophthalmology (eye disease). Patients gave her an average rating of 1.5 stars out of 5. Dr. Lusk is in-network for several insurance carriers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield EPO, Blue Cross Blue Shield Bronze, and Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO. She attended medical school at Morehouse School of Medicine.

Dr. Roger Golomb is a physician who specializes in dermatopathology and surgical dermatology. He has indicated that his clinical interests include collagen injections, cryosurgery, and laser surgery. Dr. Golomb is affiliated with Morton Plant Hospital. He obtained his medical school training at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and performed his residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Patient reviews placed Dr. Golomb at an average of 2.5 stars out of 5. He is in-network for TRICARE, United Healthcare HSA, and United Healthcare HMO, in addition to other insurance carriers.

Dr. Douglas Pierce's area of specialization is dermatology (skin disorders). In Dr. Pierce's practice, he is particularly interested in hair transplant and laser surgery. Patients gave him an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. He takes Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Coventry, TRICARE, and more. Dr. Pierce attended the University of Florida College of Medicine for medical school and subsequently trained at Wilford Hall Medical Center for residency. He has received professional recognition including the following: Florida Super Doctors 2009 - Gulf Coast Edition. He speaks Spanish. Dr. Pierce is professionally affiliated with Morton Plant Hospital.

An ophthalmologist is a physician who diagnoses and treats problems of the eye. As opposed to optometrists, ophthalmologists are medical doctors, and their specialty is comprehensive eye care and eye surgery. An ophthalmologist can:

see patients for routine eye care

diagnose eye problems

prescribe glasses, contact lenses, and medications

provide refractive therapies to correct vision, such as LASIK

perform surgery on the eye

Ophthalmologists are trained in the same vision screening practices as optometrists; however, their practice tends to focus more on the medical and surgical management of complex eye disorders. Although vision is important, so is the physical health of the eye. An ophthalmologist performing an eye exam will examine the whole eye including the eyelids, the muscles that move the eye, the front and back parts of the eye, and the pressure inside the eye.

Patients sometimes see ophthalmologists as their primary eye care and vision doctors, or they may be referred to an ophthalmologist for treatment of a one-time problem with their eye, such as an infection. Ophthalmologists provide routine care for patients who have chronic eye diseases, such as glaucoma (where pressure inside the eye damages the optic nerve sending images to the brain) or macular degeneration (an age-related eye disease that causes vision loss). In addition to providing routine care, ophthalmologists will perform eye surgery on patients who need more serious treatment, such as a corneal transplant.

Vitreoretinal disease, or vitreoretinal surgery, is a subspecialty of ophthalmology that focuses on the surgical care of the back of the eye, or the retina. The retina is the layer of nerve tissue at the rear of the eye that senses light and is responsible for vision. Connected to the retina is a thick, clear gel called vitreous. In order to perform surgery on the retina, the vitreous must sometimes be removed. Doctors who can operate on these incredibly delicate parts of the eye are called vitreoretinal surgeons.

Some of the eye conditions that a vitreoretinal surgeon might treat include:

Diabetic retinopathy

Macular degeneration

Retinal detachment or tears

Macular holes

Retinal vein occlusion

Retinoblastomas

During vitreoretinal surgery, small incisions are made in the white of the eye, and very tiny instruments are inserted. The surgeon uses a microscope to treat the areas needed deep within the eye. In some procedures, a gas bubble is injected into the eye to apply pressure to the retina and keep it in place while it heals. If this is the case, you may be asked to lie face down for a few days after surgery. Eye drops containing antibiotics and other medications are also commonly prescribed.

Vitreoretinal diseases can be a serious threat to your vision. In many cases, vitreoretinal surgery can ensure you are able to see well into the future.